Everywhere she isn't
by lysjelonken
Summary: Lisbon finally decides she has had enough and leaves the CBI without warning. This leaves Jane missing her and seeing her everywhere she isn't. JISBON
1. Chapter 1

**Everywhere she isn't**

**Plot: Lisbon decides she has had enough and quits the CBI without so much as a warning.**

**I've noticed that I haven't written a nice romantic fluffy piece in a while, and I'm afraid I've forgotten how to! So I'm attempting to do this. Basically, the fluff is going to come in when he sees her **_**everywhere she isn't.**_** See what I did there? ;)**

**Disclaimer: Nothing is mine

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There wasn't anything that set it off. No dramatic case, no annoying stunt, no emotional breakdown… Nothing.

After all of the above happening over and over for the last few years – thousands complaints on top of all the murder accusations, fake-breakdowns and threats against the job if she didn't control a madman – she certainly had more than enough reason to get fed up. But it happened late one night, when she was alone in her office. It was a clean-cut case; a senator's son killed by his mistress. If anything, she was annoyed by the stiff-lipped bigwigs looking down on her and her team as if they couldn't do their jobs. It left her tired and frustrated and annoyed, filling in the last bit of paperwork. She sat back in her chair, huffed out a deep breath and closed her eyes for a bit. Before exhaustion could take over her and carry her away to dreamland, a though crossed her frazzled mind: Why was she still here?

After giving years and years to this job, _this_ was the position she would be in forever. She was under no illusion that Patrick Jane was going to get her fired one day. She knew that from the day she realized exactly how dark he was. She knew that someday, he would mean the end of her career, whether it be that she failed in stopping him from killing Red John or simply that his rebellious behavior would be the last straw on the camel's back and they'd fire her for that. And she somehow made herself accept it. But why was that?

What if she stopped? Just stopped? Just left?

She was incredibly good at her job with credentials anyone would be jealous of. She'd have no problem getting another job, a job without a consultant that was certain to mean the end of it all. She loved her team, she loved the people she worked with, and there were times when she had to admit she loved Jane in ways that scared her. But isn't that even more reason to get the hell out of here?

So she left. She jumped up from her desk, sped home, packed her bags and drove. She'd call Hightower in the morning, notify her resignation. Right now she just needed to get away, no matter where that may be.

Right now, the only thing she even registered was the way the Interstate snaked far beyond the horizon; the way her hair blew all around her face from the wind violently streaming through the window that she allowed open for once. A song she didn't know blared at full volume from the radio and her bare foot stepped on the gas pedal, allowing the car to speed down the highway much faster than she would ever in any normal circumstance.

And for the first time in a long, long time, she felt free.

X

"Where's Lisbon?" Jane walks into the bullpen with his customary cup of tea.

"Dunno. Hightower called me this morning with the case. She couldn't reach Lisbon." Cho answered.

Jane frowned. "Really? It's not like Lisbon to not answer a call from work… or to be this late. I wonder what's up?"

"Maybe she just had a late night; overslept?" Rigsby offered.

"No, late night suggests that Lisbon has a life outside of work. And bless her soul, she does not."

"I don't know, Jane. You shouldn't write her off like that. Anything's possible." Van Pelt handed him the file. "The victim's Audrey Joy, daughter of an upmarket handbag designer, who happens to be close friends with a state attorney, which is why we have this case. These are her financial records. She bought a bunch of irregular things in the last few weeks; see what you can make of it."

Jane nodded and took the records. As he sat down on his couch, sipping his tea and reading the records, his mind started drifting to Lisbon. Where on earth was she? It was completely out of character for her to be AWOL. For a moment, he entertained the thought that she'd had a late night; met up with a few old friends and lost track of time. Or maybe she went to a bar last night and got chat up by a handsome stranger… Jane felt a sharp pang in his stomach. Surely not jealousy? Why would he be jealous of a hypothetical situation where Lisbon does something impulsive, which will surely only do her good?

Jane shook his head, expelling the thought. More important things: The case! He's sure Lisbon's fine. She's a big girl; she can take care of herself… Surely she can take care of herself, right? Why did he suddenly feel like the bullpen was abnormally cold and… empty? This felt different, weird. Like something important was missing. _Someone_ important was missing. And not in an accidental oversleeping-way either?

Jane suddenly missed her and he didn't know why. All he knew at this moment was that he's never wanted anything more than to smell the scent of cinnamon…

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**Okay, I hope that last line was okay? I wanted to achieve a metaphory-thing, but now I'm nervous it just sounded dumb. Please review and tell me what you think about the first chap and if I should continue or not? **

**Lurv**

**Zanny x0x**


	2. Chapter 2

**Everywhere she isn't**

**Thanks reviewers!**

**Disclaimer: Not mine…

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She drove all night and most of the morning. She stopped by a cheap motel to get some good night's rest and slept deeper than she had in years. She woke only a few hours later feeling refreshed; had an oily, delicious breakfast at a local diner and hit the road again.

She was singing along to the radio loudly when one of the signs at the side of the road caught her eye: Las Vegas.

Las Vegas? She never been there. Never in her life had she had the desire to run off to the city of sin. After the broken hell that was her childhood, when she escaped to the Academy as a young adult, responsibility and maturity was so etched into her character that the usual 20-something urges to run off to Vegas for a night of drinking and fun didn't appeal to her. She made up some lame excuse when her best girlfriend went to have her bachelorette party in the infamous city. And she thought: Why not?

Since she was escaping, why not escape to a city famed for being the perfect place to escape to? She definitely needed some fun in her life.

X

"Good morning, Team." Hightower walked into the bullpen, immediately earning the attention of the three agents who were discussing the case. Jane, however, stayed planted on his couch, feigning sleep.

"Morning Ma'am." They chorused in greeting.

"As I'm sure you have noticed by now, Agent Lisbon is absent today."

"We've noticed. Why is that?" Cho asked, crossing his arm.

"Agent Lisbon called me this morning. She alerted me of her immediate resignation; something that is against regulations of course, but she insisted."

"WHAT?" Jane yelled out, practically falling off of his couch in the process.

Hightower shot an amused gaze over at him. "Glad you could join us, Patrick."

"Lisbon QUIT?"

"Yes."

"You mean… just like that?"

"Yes, just like that. Personally, I can't believe Agent Lisbon would just call and let me know she's gone. It's completely against regulations…"

"To hell with regulations! What did you do?" Jane accusingly asked her.

"Mind your tone, Patrick." Hightower said, her glare icy. "_I_ didn't do anything. In fact, I haven't spoken with Lisbon since I gave her your last case, and even then she seemed perfectly fine. You four were the last to see her before she left. I was hoping that one of you might be able to offer some kind of explanation."

"No, she was… she seemed fine. I mean… She was Lisbon, she was just… fine. She's always fine…"

"Yeah, she was totally normal. I saw her right before I left for the night. She was staying late to finish up some paperwork. Business as usual." Rigsby shrugged.

Hightower's glare dragged across each of the members of the team, as if they would crack under her gaze and offer up a picture-perfect explanation for Lisbon's out-of-character behavior.

When none of them budged, she spoke again. "Alright then. While we're deciding what to make of the situation, Cho will be in charge. I expect you to let me know at once if you hear from her at all. Perhaps this is just a momentary lapse of judgment and she'll return. It happens to the best of us…" Hightower walks out of the bullpen. "And heaven knows that woman has more than enough reason to crack…" she mumbles as she exits.

The bullpen she leaves is a frazzled mess. The discussion of the case and the brother in the interrogation room is all forgotten.

"What do you think happened?" Van Pelt asks; her eyebrows furrowed in a nervous expression.

"I think she just cracked, like Hightower said. She just buckled under the pressure. Give it a day or two and she'll come back like nothing ever happened. Just a moment of weakness." Cho says.

"I don't know. What if Boss went… you know…" Rigsby gestures vaguely a motion that might or not mean insane.

"Boss? No way. I mean, she's always so calm and cool. I've seen her handle more than any person could ever handle without even batting an eyelash. There was no reason for her to go…" She copied Rigsby's gesture.

"Just because she seems calm and cool on the outside, doesn't mean she's that way on the inside. Like Hightower said, she has more than enough reason to crack." Rigsby's eyes drift in Jane's general direction.

"What do you think, Jane?" Van Pelt asks and looks over to Jane where he sits on the couch. The sight of him startles her at first. His head is in his hands and his foot is incessantly tapping. "Jane? Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." He said, but his foot is still tapping and his head doesn't leave its place in his hands.

"Then why are you tapping?"

His foot immediately stopped the moment she said it.

"I'm fine, Grace. I'm just worried for her."

"Lisbon's a big girl. She can take care of herself. You don't have to worry about her, man." Cho says.

"This… this _thing_ that just happened? It's not like her. It's a completely out of character. She'd never do something like this…"

"What, you think she was forced to leave?"

"I don't know yet…"

Cho shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Jane, you are reading too much into this. She just left. Sometimes, people just have enough and they leave. To take some time off, to think. Maybe she took things a little to the extreme by quitting, but this is Lisbon after all. I agree with Hightower: Give it some time, and she'll come back. This job is her life."

Jane lifted his head from his hands and nodded. "You know, you're right. She'll come back. Just give it a few days. Yeah, you're completely totally right. Why was I even nervous?" He chuckles at his own stupidity.

For a few moments, there is silence in the bullpen. Only the rustling of papers sound as the Agents sort through papers.

Then Jane stands up and walks out to bullpen.

"Hey, where are you going?" Rigsby calls out behind him.

"To call her."

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**Hope that was alright. Please review!**

**Zanny Xx**


	3. Chapter 3

**Everywhere she isn't: Chapter 3**

**Thanks reviewers! They make me so happy!**

**Disclaimer: Nothing is mine

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She's never felt so free, so excited as the moment she drove past the sign: Welcome to the _Fabulous_ Las Vegas! It was too early for the lights to be on, but even the lack of the flashing neon glamour didn't put her down. She zipped down the road and wove down the streets until she found a hotel expensive enough. After years of saving every spare penny she had 'just in case', she had burrowed up quite an impressive little piggy bank – which, she now decided, she was going to blow.

She checked into a decadent suite, ignoring the look the receptionist gave her. Of course the sight must've been strange – a middle-aged woman arriving in Las Vegas in the early afternoon hours in the middle of the week. But she didn't ask, and Lisbon was grateful.

A bellboy with a flirtatious smile accompanied her to the suite. She knew he was probably just smiling charmingly at her and giving her long side glances to solicit a larger tip, but at that moment she didn't particularly care. She batted her eyelashes shamelessly and swayed her hips that much more sensuously when he showed her down the hallway to her door.

"Have a nice day, Mrs Lisbon." He said.

"It's Miss, actually." She corrected him and felt a flutter of gratitude when the young bellboy donned a mischievous grin. As he left, she called back. "Excuse me, just before you go..?"

He swirled around, the grin still on his face.

"Yes, _Miss_ Lisbon?"

"Can you tell me if the hotel has a clothing store inside, or if there is one nearby? I didn't exactly bring any appropriate attire."

He deflated, barely noticeably. "Yes, there's one downstairs. If you need anything else, you can just call for me. I'm Taylor."

"Thank you, Taylor." She gives one last smile before closing the door.

She raked her eyes across the beautiful suite, taking it in. The entire room was French decadence – creamy, gorgeous and way above the level of any of the cheap motels the CBI put them up in. She gave a girlish shriek and ran off towards the bed (larger than her _bedroom_ back home!) and leaped onto it, sinking into the deep duvet. She sighed blissfully. She felt her eyelids becoming heavy and sleep drifting closer and closer…

Until a buzzing annoyance interrupted her haze.

She gave the offending object an angry glare – her cellphone, blowing up and vibrating like crazy. She patted around on the duvet until she found where it lay beside her and looked at the screen. Jane's face, smiling charmingly, filled the screen. She gave a huff – she should've known reality would catch up with her sooner or later. She had no intention of ever returning to the CBI, but just because she was leaving them behind, didn't mean they were letting her go.

There was a mini-war going on in her head; an internal battle of massive proportions. Should she answer? Shouldn't she?

Her finger hovered over the keypad.

X

Jane was standing outside the CBI building, pacing intensely, with his cell phone pressed against his ear.

One ring, two rings, three rings, four…

He could feel the tension building inside of him, his heart beating faster, faster, faster…

Then his face scrunched up and he stared at the cell phone in disbelief.

"What happened?" Rigsby asked, suddenly appearing behind him.

"She busy tone-d me!"

"What?"

"The phone was ringing and then suddenly there was a busy tone. She screened the call; she ignored me."

"Man, don't think too much into it. She probably just doesn't want to talk right now. Give her a while to cool down."

"Cool down from _what?_ She doesn't have anything to cool down from! She just left! Just like that! No provocation, nothing! It just doesn't make sense…"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean this is Senior Agent Teresa Lisbon. She's by the book, she's predictable. She's transparent…" Jane waves his hands vaguely, confused.

"Jane, I think you're getting too upset about this. Just relax. Call her again tomorrow."

Jane nodded again. "Yeah, you're right. I'm probably looking into this too deeply."

"Yeah." Rigsby gave him a friendly slap on the back. "Now let's get back to the case. The rest of the team is waiting for us."

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**So… sorry to disappoint, but Lisbon didn't answer! And see how she's being all flirty? I think if she ever had a breakdown (real, not staged, I mean) this is how she'd go about it.**

**Please review!**

**Z**


	4. Chapter 4

**Everywhere she isn't: Chapter 4**

**Disclaimer: Nothing is mine

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The case was an uninteresting one. Jane figured out the killer the moment the brother opened his mouth. He spent the rest of the day lying on the couch while the team scurried around to find evidence to prove the killer's guilt.

But Jane didn't even notice a thing they were doing.

There was only one thing on his mind, and it was plaguing him…

Lisbon leaving affected him more than he'd care to admit (even though, for once, his mask wasn't very efficient and his worry shone through plain as day). The fact was that he always thought of Lisbon as the one constant in his messed-up little world: No matter what happened, what he did, she'd _always_ be in her office when he left at night (_if_ he left at night) and there when he arrived in the morning. She'd _always_ make him stay within regulations, or at very least worry like the world was going to end when they pursued one of his less-than-rule-abiding plans. She'd _always_ forgive him (eventually) when he screwed up, she'd _always_ drink her coffee with milk and no sugar, and she would never, _ever_, run away out of the blue and leave them behind. It simply wasn't done. It simply wasn't _her_.

And now she wasn't here. And no one knew where she was, why she was there or if she was ever coming back.

If he was being honest, he knew that leaving and not coming back was what was best for her. This job (working with him in particular) was going to be the death of her. Or at very least give her an ulcer like no other. And not to mention that tiny thing about the psychopathic serial killer that was after his blood. Red John would always be a threat to him and everyone he loved. Just look at what happened to Kristina – one date and she's Red John's hostage. And Lisbon was important to him, to whichever extent he wished to admit to. Hardy already tried to kill her once…

But he was selfish. He wanted his constant there.

And then he saw it: Just a flash of green, out of the corner of his eye. And not just any green: Her green. The green-blue colour of her eyes. (He wasn't aware that he ever filed her specific eye shade in such an important folder in his mind that a simple flash leaves him practically falling of the couch in shocked recognition, but never mind…)

He scurries off of his couch in the general direction of where the flash went. The team watches his frantic exit with confused eyes.

"Just let him go." Cho says and waves them off back to work.

Jane runs down the hallway, looking desperately for that specific shade of green that he _knew_ he saw.

But it's gone. It's nowhere.

He stops in the hallway, panting; his eyes still darting in all directions, still to no avail.

"Damn… I must be going crazy…" He mutters to himself.

Then he walks back to the bullpen, thinking of an explanation for his absurd behavior. He looks back once – just in case.

X

Lisbon looked at herself in the full-length mirror in the bathroom. If she had to admit so herself, she looked pretty good.

The boutique downstairs in the hotel, other than being absurdly overprized, carried the widest selection she'd ever seen of super-short, bedazzled dresses.

_Well, that's Vegas for you…_ She thought. She ended up picking out a sequined red dress, shorter than anything she'd normally allow herself to wear and too fancy for her to ever be able to wear it again. On her feet she wore sky-high black heels.

Lisbon never dressed femininely, out of fear that if she emphasized that she was, in fact, a woman, she would be further underestimated and undervalued in her job. Normally, she didn't really have a problem with that. She was never a frilly, girly girl; as a kid, before things got bad, she always played sports with the boys. Pants and flat shoes was what she was comfortable in.

But the entire point of her being her, in Vegas, was that she was breaking out. Out of her comfort zone, out of her tiny little world that was slowly sucking the life out of her. To, finally, after years of procrastinating, _live._ And, like every woman, she did love getting dolled up every once in a while, when the situation called for it.

As she applied the make up to her face (another thing she made without for her job), she decided she was going to hit the casino tonight. Maybe even go dancing if the mood takes her…

Then she smiles as a memory creeps up on her: Jane at the casino. Borrowing her money, promising to double it… The necklace he bought for her with his winnings…

It always pained her that she had to give it back. But it was almost surely against regulations. Damn that ethic code she follows so loyally. It was such a beautiful necklace.

She shook her head, expelling the unwanted memory of what she has to forget. Then she grabbed a clutch, stuffed her credit card and cash inside, and walked out.

Behind her, on the bedside table, her cell phone lays; once again blowing up with Jane's face.

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**Alright, so I'm getting really happy over this fic! That's why I'm superspeed-updating. See? Review work! Make me work some more?**

**All my love, Zanny**


	5. Chapter 5

**Everywhere she isn't: Chapter 5**

**Thanks reviewers!**

**Disclaimer: Nothing is mine

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**

"She's still not answering." Jane says as he walks into the bullpen, hanging up the phone. The team is packing up to head home for the night.

Cho rolls his eyes. "Jane, how long are you going to obsess? We've told you a million times, leave her in peace and she'll come back when she's ready!"

Jane nods solemnly. "You guys have a nice night. I'm gonna stick around here for a while."

"Stick around for what?" Van Pelt asks, picking up her jacket from where it hung over her seat.

"Uh, you know… stuff. Case-related stuff." Jane cringed inwardly at his clumsy excuse. Since when did he stumble over words?

"Jane, there _is_ no case-related stuff. Do yourself a favor and go home… Get some sleep, rest up and come back bright and bushy-tailed tomorrow. And for the sake of all things good, stop worrying about Lisbon! If anyone can take care of themselves, she can."

He nods again, but doesn't leave his spot on his couch. He watches as each of the team leaves (and each of their worried glances).

And then he's alone, sitting on his couch, staring on the cell phone that's still in his hand. On the screen is her picture, and it makes him smile fondly. He took it just recently, while they were driving back form an out-of-town case. She's looking driving, of course, and the sunlight is gleaming on her ebony fringe that has started to grow just a little bit long. She's blowing it out of her eyes, creating quite a humorous image. Her eyes are diverted up at the offending hair and the unruly hair flies above her forehead as she blows it away.

It's the same image that he's set as her caller ID image. The image that usually displays more than once or twice a day, but lately hasn't flashed at all.

He's snapped out of his thoughts by a sound. At least he thinks he heard it?

The familiar violent typing of a keyboard. A tired sigh that tells him that she's in need of some coffee right about now… The symphony of sounds that he now finds normal at this time of night in the CBI office. Is it just him, or is her office now also bathed in the familiar glow of her desk lamp?

He slowly pulls himself up from the couch and walks to her office.

Turns out there's no lamplight, just the soft glow of the street lamps coming through her blinds.

He stands there in her office. It feels empty and cold – foreign. Before today, this office didn't exactly feel like the average boss' office to him either. Coming here was usually synonymous with playful teasing and flying staplers. Not hearing typing and seeing lights that weren't there.

This was getting ridiculous. Even he had to admit his incessant worrying about Lisbon's location was getting insane. They were right – Lisbon was a grown woman, fully capable of taking good care of herself. She got along perfectly fine before him; she could certainly live through being without him.

He knew all of this –well.

But why did it still feel like her leaving wasn't just a once-off freak out?

X

"Yeah!" Lisbon yelled triumphantly, accompanied by a chorus of hearty cheers.

She was on a winning streak at the blackjack table, something she never even thought of attempting before. Champagne was running like water and a small crowd had formed around her, cheering every time Lady Luck struck her way. Which, surprising her more than anyone else, was more often than not.

A handsome man with striking blue eyes catches her eye from the crowd; he's wearing a tuxedo and is smiling flirtatiously at her, looking her up and down.

She excuses her from the table, earning a chorus of disappointed whines from the crowd, but they quickly move on to the next person at the table. As she weaves through the crowd, the blue-eyed hunk walks up to her and touches her arm, catching her attention.

"Hi." He says simply, with another charming smirk.

"Hi." She echoes, offering a coy smile of her own.

"Wanna get a drink?"

She hesitates (old habits die hard), but finally nods. _This is my breakaway! _She reminds herself. _Break away!_

The handsome stranger leads her to the bar, more dimly lit and free of the noise and flashing lights of the gambling area.

He orders a single malt whiskey and she orders a tequila shot. He glances at her, intrigued.

"Hard liquor for such a tiny girl." He says playfully.

"Oh, I'm no lightweight." She chuckles. Flashes of hidden tequila bottles, hidden in the drawer of her desk, are quickly expelled.

In the dim light, the man's features are accentuated. His blonde hair, just long enough for tiny curls to start to form (she finds herself wishing it was longer so she could run her fingers through the blonde locks). His charming smile with the bright, white teeth (she finds herself wishing they reached his eyes). And those sharp, blue eyes (she finds herself wishing they were deeper, like an azure ocean. Like Jane's.)

Woah there! Like _Jane's_? Where did that come from?

"So tell me about yourself..?"

"Huh? Oh, Teresa. I'm Teresa." She says, smiling. Their drinks arrive and she downs the shot in one gulp. The harsh liquid burns her throat and leaves her head spinning for but a moment. She immediately orders another drink; her date doesn't seem to care.

"Teresa… That's a beautiful name."

"Thank you." She says, but she hardly registers the conversation taking place.

_Blonde curls, charming smile, blue eyes… Oh my gosh, I'm flirting with a Jane-wannabe!_

"I'm Reese, by the way."

"Reese…" Her second shot arrives and she downs it as well. This time, her date _does_ comment.

"Woah, there! You've still got the entire night!" He says, smiling as not to offend her.

"Yeah…" She says, looking down into the bottom of the glass as if it's the most interesting puzzle to solve ever. "You know what? Actually I have to go. I just realized I'm terribly late for something. But I'll find you later and we'll finish the drink, definitely. Reese, right?" She says, smiling sincerely.

He seems disappointed and taken just a bit aback, but nods understandingly. "Of course. And make sure you do, _Teresa._"

As she struts off out of the bar, she can feel his eyes on her ass.

_Asshole._

She had no intention of finding him later. Other than the creepy-factor, the guy didn't seem too bright. How could she realize she was late for something if casinos don't have clocks? And she wasn't wearing a wristwatch either.

She took a cab back to the hotel and spend the night eating room service and watching Pay-per-view until she dozed off.

The last thought that crossed her mind was: _So much for breaking out.

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**Preview! Next chap: Jane decides he needs to find her! Ooh, whatever will happen? What on earth will you do, Zanny? Well, hypothetical reader, that is all up to you… Or rather, up to your reviews! So review! **

**Zanny**


	6. Chapter 6

**Everywhere she isn't: Chapter 6**

**Thanks to all the reviewers! You guys rock – seriously! And thanks especially for all of you who came with suggestions (I love nothing more than fresh ideas!) So please don't be afraid to speak up!**

**Disclaimer: Not mine

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She woke up, buried in the comforter, when some sunlight escaped the blinds and shone on her face. She glanced at the digital clock on the bedside and nearly fell out of bed in shock, before recovering when she remembered where she was. She never got to sleep this late; even on weekends, her internal clock would be set to the early office hours and she'd be up at dawn.

She reluctantly pulled herself up from the cozy cocoon, shed her clothes and hopped into the jumbo-sized shower.

She didn't want to leave the cascading waters, but she decided some breakfast was in order. Wrapped in a towel, she walked back into the bedroom and gave the suite an once-over glance. After one night, she'd manage to make the place a hurricane zone – figures. As organized and punctual she could be in her work, her house and personal space was always a mess. After a full day of work, she simply didn't have the energy, time or desire to clean up after herself. Now what was her excuse? Her suitcase was toppled over on the floor and clothing lay scattered across the room.

_Oh well_, she thought, _that's why maid service is there_. She plopped back down onto the bed and went to take a look at the room service menu. As she was reaching on it, she noticed her phone lying on the bedside table, with a notification popped up.

_Six missed calls: Patrick Jane (6)_

Lisbon grunted. Jane had been calling her all night. Lucky she didn't take her phone with her to the casino and that it was on silent all night. She would probably have snapped at him after the uncomfortable incident with the wannabe-Jane.

She was just going to have to call him back later. It was in the middle of the working day; she'd call him during lunch.

That reminded her: food.

She looked the room service menu back to front and discovered that they didn't put a breakfast menu in her room.

_No matter… I'll just go downstairs and have a buffet brunch._

She dug through the piles of clothes and found her favourite jeans and a pretty top she never wore before and slipped them on. Just before she left, she reminded herself to take her phone with her.

X

Jane lay on his couch when Rigsby and Van Pelt arrived. They didn't bother to ask him if he had stayed here all night; he wore a fresh suit and that's all they needed to know.

"Morning Jane." Van Pelt greeted.

"Morning." He didn't look up and his eyes stayed closed. "Where were you guys?"

"Local PD called. They found the runaway witness. We spent the morning interviewing." Rigsby pulled a face and plopped down on his seat. "Didn't anybody call you?"

"Lisbon usually calls me…" Jane mumbles.

"Have you called her again this morning?"

"Twice. Round the time she usually wakes up and round the time she usually has her first cup of coffee. No answer both times. I think she's ignoring me."

"I wonder why?" Rigsby mumbled.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

Cho entered the bullpen, file in hand. "Oh Jane, you're here too. Hightower just called me in. She says they've decided that they'll give Lisbon one week to make contact or come back before they start looking for a replacement. Special circumstances."

"And with that they mean they hope she comes back because they don't want to lose a good agent. Or go looking for her." Jane says.

"Yeah, basically. Still nothing?"

"Still nothing."

"Maybe she just doesn't want to talk to you?" Van Pelt suggests. "Maybe you did something wrong that you don't know of. Maybe one of us should call her."

_This_ made Jane sit up. "She is _not_ only avoiding me. She's avoiding _all_ of us. She wouldn't avoid me… Not without yelling at me beforehand, anyway… But you know what? Why don't you call her? Test the theory."

Van Pelt seemed taken aback by his enthusiastic response to her suggestion. "Uh... A-alright…"

She pats around in her pockets and retrieves her cellphone, then pushes the buttons to call Lisbon.

Silence falls over the bullpen; Jane is sitting on the edge of the couch.

It's so silent that, if you strain, you can hear the muffled ring-ring of the phone, coming from the speaker.

Silence and the muffled ring; more silence and muffled ringing. One muffled ring, two muffled rings, three muffled rings, four…

"See? She's not answering for you ei-"

"Hello?" Came the muffled answer on the speaker.

Jane falls back on the couch with a dumbfounded expression.

"Hello? Boss?"

"Van Pelt?"

"Yeah… Boss where _are_ you?"

"Give me the phone!" Jane yells and grabs the phone out of Van Pelts hand, before pulling it to his ear and pacing wildly across the bullpen. "Lisbon, where _are _you? You just disappeared and you ignored all of my phone calls! I hope you have a good explanation for this…"

His only reply is an exasperated sigh. "Jane, I didn't ignore your phone calls, my phone wasn't with me last night."

"You busy tone-d my first call…"

"Well… Yeah, but… You know what; I don't owe you any explanation!"

"How about why you left? You leave the team high and dry, out of the blue with no rhyme or reason. No warning, no note, no nothing! You just… leave…"

"I needed to get away…"

"That's good. Get away. Do whatever you need to do… And come back. You can't leave the team hanging." He was careful to say 'the team' every time.

"I'm not leaving the hanging. They're a group of fine agents, and you're… you're a good consultant. Hightower will arrange a new supervising agent and everything will be fine. Trust me."

"Where are you?"

"I…" He can hear her sighing and shaking her head. "I don't think it's a good idea to tell you that. Goodbye, Jane."

"No, wait, don hang-"

He was interrupted by the taunting, one-tone; signaling she did, in fact, hang up.

He sighs and throws the phone over to Van Pelt, not stopping his pacing.

For a moment there's silence.

"Alright then, let's get back to work. Rigsby, you come with me to interrogate the witness." Cho says, getting up and leading Rigsby out of the bullpen behind him.

Jane's still pacing back and forth. Then he flew around to face Van Pelt.

"Grace, I'm going to need you to pull up Lisbon's financial records."

"Her financials? Jane, we need a warrant for that."

"Get the bank manager on the phone and I'll spin a story. I heard piano music in the background. She's having brunch in a hotel. We need to know where she is…"

Van Pelt hesitates. "Jane, are you sure about this? I mean… she doesn't really seem to want to be found. Maybe it's just best to leave her be."

"Yeah, that's not happening." Jane plops down on his couch and stares at her intently, waving her forward. "Well, go on!"

* * *

**Alright, so he didn't physically go to find her, but he called and now he's doing something illegal to determine her whereabouts! How Jane is that?**

**Please review?**

**Zanny X**


	7. Chapter 7

**Everywhere she isn't: Chapter 7**

**Wow, I can't believe I'm at chapter 7 already! Thank you to all reviewers!**

**Disclaimer: Promise, nothing is mine.

* * *

**

Lisbon sighed as she hung up and looked down at the display on the cell phone screen.

_Call time: 3:05_

The call was brief, only three minutes, but she knew better than anyone that a three-minute phone call was to Jane as a hand-drawn map was to the rest of the world. It would be a matter of time before he showed up here at the hotel.

She stood up from her seat in the hotel dining area and made her way to the concierge desk, where a man with smoothly combed back hair greeted her with a friendly smile.

"Hi, how may I help you today?" He asked. She immediately regretted the low-cut top when his eyes darted down towards her chest, staying there for longer than made her comfortable, before jumping back to her face.

"Hi, I need someone to arrange a one-way plane ticket for me, please."

The concierge started slowly typing the buttons of his laptop (sneaking another look at her breast), giving a loud last click as he reached the desired website.

"And whereto should these plane tickets be?" He asked.

Lisbon was stumped. _Whereto, whereto?_

Behind her, passed two men with New York accents, loudly carrying out an obnoxious conversation about losing money at a blackjack table the previous night.

_New York…_

She's always wanted to go to the Big Apple. In fact, when she was at the Academy she and her roommate had pictures of the famed city pasted on the mirror. Back then, wearing NYPD blue seemed the absolute ultimate.

"New York City." She said certainly.

The concierge continued to click. "There's a flight to New York City leaving tomorrow morning."

"Nothing earlier?"

"I'm afraid not."

"Alright, then that's good." She handed him her credit card and watched him type away until he printed her receipt out.

"Just take this receipt with you to claim your ticket." He said, flashing his bright (annoying) smile.

"Thank you."

X

"Sir, I know this is highly unconventional, but due to extremely urgent circumstances, we need this woman's financial records!" Jane argues loudly over the phone. "As I told you, we have no time to wait for a warrant. It's a suspected…" He lowers his voice dramatically to a whisper. "A suspected terrorism case. The life of an extremely influential political figure… and I mean _extremely_ influential…"

Van Pelt rolls her eyes as she listens in to Jane's brilliantly constructed lie.

"Yes, of course. No, you will on no counts be held responsible for anything. And the CBI will issue the pending warrant as soon as it arrives. Thank you, sir, you've done a great service to your country." He hangs up. "We've got it. They're sending the records now."

"Jane…"

"What?" He's already standing behind her chair, more riled up than she's ever seen him, staring impatiently at her computer monitor.

"Nothing." She sighs.

Jane stands behind her, waiting. It seems the records can't come soon enough. He wishes he had an explanation for all this; why she left. Why she isn't coming back? Why all of this bothers him so much that he's at the point of passing out?

"You know that poor man thinks he just saved the president's life, you know that?"

Jane doesn't even hear her comment, because something else has grabbed his attention. It's nothing noticeable, nothing concrete. It's a _scent_. That terrible, deliciously addictive scent of cinnamon that's engraved into her being. Possibly one of his favorite physical aspects of her; her scent.

It's here. It's in the cool draft that flows through the bullpen (did someone leave a window open?) and it's seeping through the barely-working air conditioner. It's all around him, like he's drowning in it, and at the same time it's too far for him to grasp. It's teasing him, taunting him. It's taking all of him over…

"Jane?"

"Huh? Yes?" Jane is startled out of his daze.

"They're here." Van Pelt points at the monitor, where a window has popped up with a long list of financial dribble.

"Skip the little stuff, look for accommodation details. Hotel names…" He says and Van Pelt scrolls down.

"Here. She booked into a hotel in Vegas."

"Vegas?" Jane is flabbergasted. "Are you sure? Lisbon in Vegas?"

"It says so right here, black one white."

"Is there some way you can confirm? Video or something? I mean, maybe she just called in and booked a bunch of places to throw us off."

"Why would she-? Ugh…" Van Pelt grunted. Then she picked up the phone and dialed a number.

"Hello, yes? I'm Agent Grace Van Pelt from the CBI. I'm looking for a woman, and our sources say she's staying at your hotel… No, she didn't do anything wrong, but she's, uh…"

"A suspect. Say she's a suspect!" Jane whispers urgently.

"She's a suspect in one of our cases and we need to closely monitor her moves. I know you have customer confidentiality, but this is a case of massive urgence and unusual circumstances, so the warrant has been delayed. We just need a yes or no confirmation." Van Pelt went with Jane's previous excuse.

"Say it's a matter of national security." Jane urges her from the sidelines.

"It's a matter of national security!"

There's a moment of silence in the bullpen. Then: "Yes sir, she's a Caucasian woman, mid-thirties, about 5"4, with dark hair and blue eyes."

"Green eyes." Jane corrects her.

"G-green eyes."

Jane waits, impatiently tapping his fingers on the desk as the hotel manager speaks to Van Pelt.

"Thank you so much, sir, you're country thanks you." Van Pelt says as she hangs up. "She's there."

And before she could say anything else to stop him from going after her, Van Pelt was too late. Jane had run out of the bullpen.

* * *

**Alright, so I'm planning some seriously funny scenes in the next chap. Seriously, you guys are gonna love it! **


	8. Chapter 8

**Everywhere she isn't: Chapter 8**

**Thanks guys! **

**Disclaimer: Nothing is mine

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**

After driving all day and most night (stopping at the side of the road only when his eyes were getting dangerously heavy), Jane finally reached the hotel on Lisbon's financial record. It was early hours of the morning and the night guard was just getting ready to leave his shift.

Jane pushed past the doors and walked to the reception desk.

"Good morning, I'm with the CBI. We called ahead to confirm that a suspect is staying here and I just need to get her room number." Jane said in a serious tone and flashed Van Pelt's badge.

The bleach-blonde receptionist had obviously just come in (her pupils were noticeably dilated from her morning double espresso), and she was taken aback at the stranger's commanding tone.

"I'm sorry, sir, but I didn't hear anything about that. But if you're with the police, I'm going to have to see a warrant to give you any room numbers…"

Jane rolled his eyes exasperatedly. "I really don't have time to over this with you right now. I've arranged everything with your superiors and we don't have _time_! This is serious, this isn't a game! I need the room number of Teresa Lisbon _right now_!"

The poor shell-shocked blonde didn't stand a change. Her quivering fingers typed in, unsurely, the name.

"Teresa Lisbon?"

"Yes. L-I-S-B-O-N."

She was twitching nervously behind the screen.

"C'mon, I don't have all day!"

"She just booked in yesterday – suite number 403 - and she cancelled the rest of her stay unto just the night. She's leaving this moment. I have it here that she ordered a plane ticket via the concierge as well."

When she looked up, the blonde police officer wasn't in front of her desk anymore. She could barely see him speed off in the direction of the elevator.

Jane couldn't reach the elevator fast enough. When he did reach it, he stabbed at the buttons over and over.

The doors seemed to close in slow motion; it seemed like he wasn't even moving up. Finally the doors open, revealing the tastefully decorated hallway. He sped down the hall until he found the door to suite 403 – wide open.

Carefully, he nudged the door open and went in. If he wasn't so absorbed in his search for her, he might've noticed how beautiful, and surely expensive, the suite was.

Instead, he found himself staring at the only person standing in the room.

A uniformed hotel employee.

X

"Who are you?" The employee – probably a bellboy or something equally invisible – asks.

"Me? Who are _you_?"

"I-I… I'm here to clean up the room."

"She's gone?" Jane asks, his hands shaking at his sides.

"Miss Lisbon, who rented this suite? You actually just missed her. She's got an early flight, she went out thirty minutes ago."

Jane sighs tiredly; then he looks the young man in front of him up and down. "_Miss_ Lisbon?"

The boy flushes bright red. "That's what she told me."

"No, you're right, she _is_ a Miss. But the way you said it…"

The young employee tries to move past him, but in a fit of unexplained rage, Jane grabs him and pushes him against the wall, trapping him in a violent hold. His forearm was pressing hard against his throat.

"You're not housekeeping. You're a bellboy, aren't you? Why are you even here in her room?" Jane asks; his tone dangerously low. "And what is it you're hiding?"

The poor sod was shaking in fear. "I-I don't know what you're t-talking about…" He stutters.

"Yes, you do… Hand it over." Jane holds his hand open, awaiting the offer.

Nervously and at a tediously slow pace, the boy reaches his hand into his pocket and pulls out a little black ball of cloth; placing it in Jane's hand.

Jane released his death grip on his neck and took a step back, unfolding the ball, revealing it to be a lacy pair of underwear.

The glare he sent the young man must've been harder and fuller of anger than he realized, because the unadulterated fear that broke onto his face was immense.

"Look, dude, I just found that lying on the floor. I swear, I just flirted with her in the elevator, nothing ever happened!"

Jane pursed his lips, trying to contain his anger; he didn't have time to deal with this miscreant right now. He had more important things to worry about – like stopping Lisbon from getting on that plane!

"Do you know where she is now?" His tone was strained.

"I think she said something about grabbing breakfast downstairs before going off. I don't know; she rushed out of here, like I said."

Jane turned to run back downstairs; at the last moment, he changes his mind. He turns back and throws a hard punch, hitting the bellboy in the jaw.

He staggered back, clutching his jaw, his face painfully scrunched up.

"Perverted little asshole…" He mumbles as he walks out.

* * *

**Superfast updating! Twice in one day! Certainly more than that in twenty-four hours… I'm proud of myself, it's like running a fanfic-marathon! **

**Please review? **

**Zanny X**


	9. Chapter 9

**Everywhere she isn't: Chapter 9**

**Thanks reviewers!**

**LizfromItaly? Pay special attention to the dialogue. Your review back in chapter 6 had a stellar suggestion, and I really wanted to use it!**

**Disclaimer: Nothing is mine!

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**

Lisbon couldn't help herself. She had to get some breakfast – it really was the best thing about this hotel. And she knew that once she touched down in NYC, she would have to snap out of her self-indulgent pamper-mode. Then would start the apartment-hunting and the applying for a job at the NYPD; don't get it wrong, she was absolutely looking forward to her new life in New York. But the night in Las Vegas had been fantastic (minus the awkward date with the wannabe-Jane that made her stay in the night).

But now she was finished with her breakfast, her cab was on its way and she knew that if she stayed any longer, Jane and the team would show up on her doorstep. And more than likely persuade her to come back to the CBI – Jane was persuasive like that.

She reluctantly stood up and walked to the luggage cart on which her bags were piled. She looked around for that handsome bellboy to help her push the wheeled frame to the door, but he was nowhere in sight. She sighed. Between the creepy concierge and the Jane-lookalike in the bar that kept staring at her ass, he was the only male in the building that didn't make her shudder in disgust when he flirted with her. Oh well…

She staggered out the door, pulling the cart behind her. The cab was waiting for her outside and the skinny cab driver got out to help her load the luggage.

"To the airport?"

"Yes, please." She said..

"Avoiding me, Lisbon?" A familiar, masculine voice comes from behind him. "You know that isn't a wise thing to do, woman."

Her head snaps back in shock. Behind her stood the man she so desperately wanted to avoid: Patrick Jane, in the flesh. Looking _terrible_, if she had to say so herself. His eyes were droopy and black bags hung underneath them – he looked like he spent the night driving and slept in his car.

"Jane? W-what are you doing here?"

"Don't even try, Teresa. I came here to talk some sense into you. What's going on?"

She sighed deeply and rolled her eyes exasperatedly. "Nothing's going on. I just left." She didn't comment on how his use of her first name made her heart beat faster.

"You don't just leave. You're Lisbon; you don't _do_ stupid stuff like this!"

"Yeah? Well maybe it's time I _did_ do something stupid! Maybe it's time I broke away from my job at the CBI that's eating me from the inside out! Maybe it's time that I started somewhere new, somewhere fresh! Somewhere where my career isn't in constant peril because of crazy stunts pulled by an incorrigible consultant!" By now, she was yelling, her face flushing bright red in rage.

Her last comment broke him; his eyes filled with hurt and he took a tired step back. He couldn't do this. He couldn't take her being hurt…

He sucked in a strained breath. "Y-You're unhappy at the CBI? You're unhappy… with me?"

Behind her, the cab driver honked the horn. "Hey lady, you still want to go to the airport?"

"Give us a minute, okay?" Jane yelled, maybe a little more violently than necessary. "Teresa, can you look me in the eyes and tell me that I make you unhappy?"

"Why do you keep calling me that?" She chuckles humorlessly. "Why do you call me Teresa? You never call me Teresa."

"Don't change the subject." His voice is low and tired.

She sighs and shakes her head slowly. "I don't have time for this, Jane. I have to get to the airport."

Jane looks down. "So I'll take that as a yes…" He watches her open the cab door, getting ready to get in.

But just before she can step into the car, he grabs her arm and tilts her chin up with his finger until she looks him in the eye.

"Well then, if you're leaving for good… before you go, I just want to tell you something."

"What?" Her tone isn't impatient, rather tired and spent.

Instead of a reply, he closes the gap between them and catches her lips in a sweet kiss.

It leaves her head spinning and her mouth agape – speechless.

He chuckles at her surprised face. "The team's going to miss you, _Agent Lisbon_…" He says, not breaking eye contact. "And I'm going to miss you… _Teresa_…"

He gives her another kiss, savoring the sweet caress of her soft lips against him.

Then he takes a step back and gives a smile filled with regret. "Take care of yourself, Lisbon."

"I will…" Her voice is soft and husky.

Then she steps into the cab and closes the door. He watches as the cab pulls away; her beautiful face looking at him through the window. And he can't help but feel that terrible feeling; the one he promised himself he'd never allow himself to feel again, years ago when Red John took his wife and child from him. He feels his heart literally shattering into a million shards in his chest. He feels sick…

And as the cab disappears around the curb, he tentatively touches his lips, where hers touched him only moments before. And he thinks that now there's another part of her to haunt him in her absence.

* * *

**No flames! There'll be a happy ending, I promise! But you have to admit, that was a pretty dramatic turn! She left! How many of you saw that coming? Cause I sure as hell didn't! My fingers just got a mind of their own and typed it!**

**Please review!**

**Zanny XO**


	10. Chapter 10

**Everywhere she isn't: Chapter 10**

**OH MY GOSH, I'M UP TO DOUBLE NUMBERS! How did that happen? How long ago did I start this? Like, a week ago? Wow, this **_**is**_** a fanfic marathon! I'm totally amazed with myself; this pace is brain-numbing! And here I am again, updating. You guys better love me…**

**Disclaimer: Not mine

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**

The team noticed the difference immediately. Jane showed up looking tired and devastated and broken. He fell down on the couch and didn't even bother to lift his legs onto the furniture; he just lay there with his legs dangling down the side.

They tried to ask what happened while he when he went after her, but he didn't say anything. And when Hightower came to the bullpen after she heard of his trip, and asked what was going on, he simply shook his head and told her to start looking for replacements.

His hallucinations were getting worse; he saw flashes of her smile, heard symphonies of her laugh, smelt her scent on the wind. Sometimes he could even swear that he heard her angry voice yelling for him from her office. And every little thing in the world reminded him of her – there were suddenly staplers _everywhere_ and he saw random people in the streets wearing Lisbon loafers.

He found himself folding origami frogs out of scraps of paper every spare moment.

He found himself driving slower – much slower – in fact, as achingly slow as she did, just to feel the normalcy of the slow-moving landscape out the window.

He found himself no longer thinking of serial killers and bloody revenge, but of _her_ – everything about her, all the time. Thinking of her eyes, like blue-green sapphires; of her ebony locks shining in the sunlight; of the way her ivory skin glowed in the moonlight as they drove back from her case. And especially of her soft lips against his and the bitter pain of the farewell that it represented.

The team was getting annoyed with his sulky attitude. He rarely did the effort to get up and go along to cases. He just lay there.

"Alright, Jane, this is getting pathetic. Get your sorry butt off that couch and do something!" Van Pelt was the first one to crack. She yelled at him, her voice rising to an uncharacteristically high pitch.

The entire bullpen stared at her in shock, but Jane didn't even flinch.

Then he slowly started to move. He pulled himself up from the couch and stood up. He gave Van Pelt a look that seemed to say 'happy now?', and walked right out the bullpen.

X

"Ma'am? I think we have a problem?"

"Yes, Agent Cho?" Hightower barely looked up from the files in front of her.

"Jane just walked off."

Hightower looks at her wristwatch. "Hmm? Little early for that, isn't it? Usually he only walks off after noon."

"No, Ma'am, I don't think you understand. I mean he walks off, like, he disappeared."

_This_ made her head snap up. "Disappeared? Disappeared how?"

"Disappeared, like he stood up and walked out. And now he's not answering calls and we don't know where he is."

"Well, maybe he'll just be back tomorrow."

"Ma'am I don't think so. I think he's gone."

"Gone?"

"As in to New York…"

"New York? I'm sorry, Agent Cho, but you've lost me. Why New York?"

"Lisbon is in New York. Apparently she moved there to start her life over."

Hightower pursed her lips in angry frustration. "You're _kidding_ me, right?"

"I'm afraid not, Ma'am."

"I can't be losing one of my best agents _and_ my secret-weapon consultant in a month! How do you think that looks?" She stood up forcefully, banging her fists against the desk. "I'm placing this entire… _situation_… on your shoulders, Agent Cho. Call them until their phones blow up; go after them if you have to! Do whatever you have to."

"And if I can't get them back?" Cho asks. He couldn't believe she was doing this.

"Do I have to spell it out for you, Agent Cho?"

* * *

**Okay, Cho's not going to go behind them. He's Cho. Creepy stalker-mode just won't do. But he **_**is**_** going to call them like crazy, if you were wondering. I mean, I wanted to make things interesting by applying pressure from the CBI-side. I don't know; can you picture Cho running after them to New York? Kicking down their doors type of thing? Just seems a little off for me…**

**Anyway, suggestion? Solution! There's this magical little button on the screen **_**right now**_** (convenient, right?) When you press it, there's this amazing little box that pops up, and you can type in all kinds of awesome things. Like words. Reviews! HOW MIND-BOGGLING AMAZING ARE THEY? I absolutely love them. Which is why I've dedicated this entire paragraph to them!**

**Zanny X**


	11. Chapter 11

**Everywhere she isn't: Chapter 11**

**I'm blown away by your responses! You guys make me smile like crazy!**

**Also, I'm mentioning a Detective Lambie, one of her new co-workers. He's inspired by the **_**beautiful**_** Patrick Lambie, SA rugby player. Girls: Do yourself a favor. Google him.**

**Disclaimer: Nothing is mine

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**

Jane hung up his phone for the umpteenth time. The air hostess was getting angry at him. They aren't even supposed to have their cell phones on, but his was vibrating like crazy every hour on the hour. Each time it was either Rigsby or Van Pelt – so, obviously, Hightower must've threatened Cho and now the team's trying like crazy to reach him. But he wasn't going to answer. He was on a mission.

He knew she wouldn't want to talk to him. She rejected him flat-out that morning in Vegas. She changed her number, for goodness' sake! She _did_ call the team again, once after she left. He had finally dragged himself up enough to go make himself some tea, when it happened. A quick call, not two minutes. She just said that she's sorry she left them so suddenly, and the normal sincere-crap: It's been an honor working with you; you'll all make fine agents; all that jazz. She didn't ask for him, she didn't ask about him. But she did send him a message. Van Pelt told him about it later.

Tell Jane I'm really sorry, she said.

Nothing more.

He craved to hear her voice again. That's why he's here, taking the red-eye to New York City, totally unprepared and unequipped for whatever is about to happen.

He falls asleep on the uncomfortable seat (forming an unforgiving kink in his neck) and he dreams about her. She's laughing, she's smiling. She says she loves him back.

He's snapped out of his beautiful dream when the redheaded air hostess with the eyeliner-beauty spot shakes him awake to let him know they're almost in New York. It's only then that reality kicked him in the head.

He didn't know anything.

He didn't know where she lived, where she worked, or what her new number was! Usually, he'd be able to figure these kind of things out… Strangely enough, not now…

Where was he to go? How could he find her?

He's so dazed by his own confused thoughts that he's surprised when the passengers unlock their seatbelts and start to retrieve their carry-on luggage from the overhead carriages.

It was time.

X

Everything worked down great. She got a job at practically the same rank at the NYPD and things were going very well. Her new co-workers liked and respected her; her boss didn't threaten to fire her because of consultant's crazy stunts; she somehow managed to find a fantastic apartment in New York City (a feat she couldn't believe she attained) and just the other day, the handsome detective on the _other_ team (note other, not against any rules!) gave her a flirtatious smile and a wink. Life was good.

Then why wasn't it?

Why did she still cry herself to sleep at night?

Why did it feel like her heart grew cold and empty every time she thought of what she left behind in Sacramento. And she _did_ think about it, all the time.

She found herself looking at her phone longingly more than she'd care to admit, her finger hovering over the call 'button'. She only buckled once – it was just around lunch time and she was sitting at her new desk, alone. Before she knew, it she had scrolled down to Jane's number. But she couldn't allow herself to do it.

She was afraid she'd crack and tell him exactly how much he filled her thoughts – how much she missed him, how much she needed to see him again.

So, instead, she forced herself to scroll down to Van Pelt's name and hoped Jane would be lying on the couch.

He wasn't. And she wouldn't allow herself to ask for him. The most she let herself do was ask them to tell him she missed her.

And how she did…

He wouldn't get out of her head. She tried all the things she usually did when she was heartbroken – throwing herself into work, drown herself the incessant pool of paperwork and caffeine. Nothing worked.

It was near quitting time, and she was sitting at her new desk, typing the information of the case they finished today into the computer.

"Hey Lisbon, we're all going out for drinks. You wanna come along?" Detective Lambie, one of her new co-workers, asked.

"Uhh… you know what? You guys go ahead without me. I'm kinda tired, I think I'm just gonna head home and get some sleep."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. Thanks, though…" She smiles and watches her new team leave. Somewhere inside of her, a little voice wishes they were going out for case closed pizza instead.

So she gets up, grabs her bag and walks to her car. On the way, she calls the pizza delivery service and orders dinner. She smiles as she asks for pineapple. Her smile falls when she remembers why…

When she reaches her new apartment building, she slowly walks up the stairs (the elevator's out of order) and gets out her key.

Her apartment is dark and cold. (Back in Sacramento, her apartment wasn't exactly homely either, but it wasn't exactly comforting).

"Hi…" Came a voice from the darkness. She almost fell over in shock, and her hands flew to her off-duty weapon.

"Woah! Calm down, tiger…" The voice chuckles. That voice… It's so familiar…

"Jane?" She asks.

He steps out from the shadows and his face is illuminated in the moonlight streaming in from her windows.

"I like your apartment."

"H-How did you find me?" Her words momentarily scares his – is she afraid of him? But her tone isn't scared; it's rather full of regret.

"I have my ways… And the Yellow Pages. But mostly my ways…" He smiles and then his tone turns serious. "I can't take this, Teresa. I'm dying back there. I had to see you."

"Yeah, I kinda have an idea what you're talking about…"

His head snaps up and their eyes join. "You do?"

"I do…" She offers a small smile. "I guess I didn't figure that I've become such a masochist that I'd miss it." She chuckles mirthfully.

"Miss _it_?" He asks, disappointed.

"And you… I missed you a lot, Jane."

This made him smile brightly. He had felt so unsure; he thought that she hadn't given him (and their kiss outside the hotel in Vegas) another thought. But apparently she had missed him too!

He takes a giant (figurative, please) leap, and takes her hands in his. "Teresa, I'm going to beg now. And I want you to appreciate it because I never beg. But ever since I watched you leave a month ago in that cab, everything… _everything's_ been different. And not in a good way. I'm going _insane_ without you…" He's not going to mention just _how_ insane that is; ramblings about hearing her and seeing her and smelling her everywhere is probably not going to help his case. "Please, Tess… _Please_ come back."

He called her Tess, which confuses her, but she likes it. She looks down at their joined hands. "I-I can't… I mean, I just got this new job, this new apartment… I-it's just too complicated."

"I can get you out of the lease. We can figure something out about the job; we can have Hightower pull in a favor or something. We can _make_ it simple. I just want you back where you belong."

His face is so close to hers, she can feel his warm breath skim over her lips.

Tears start to well up in her eyes and she doesn't know why. Teresa Lisbon doesn't cry; certainly not over a man showing up in her apartment and asking her to return to California with him.

He notices as her eyes become wet (of _course_ he does, he's Jane) and he wipes away the tear before it even fully falls from her eye. Then he kisses her cheek, right below her eye were the tear would've fallen. Then his lips move lower, kissing their way down. Her eyes drop closed when he reaches her lips and she responds with equal fervor.

The kiss deepens, and her hands move to his golden curls; they're silky and wonderful under her fingertips.

They break when breathing becomes a serious issue and he looks into her beautiful green eyes, catching his breath. "Does that mean yes?"

She's just as out of breath as he is, as she answers him. "It means how about we figure it out later?"

"I like that idea." He nods eagerly and looks over his shoulder. "Bedroom?"

"Down the hall to your right."

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**Hey, they just spent a month apart, okay? Next will be the epilogue. Woah, this fic was a gem to write. Thanks so much for all if your amazing suggestions, comments and reviews! You people make my life! See ya soon!**

**Zanny X**


	12. Last ChapterEpilogue

**Everywhere she isn't: Last chapter**

**I somehow link 'epilogue' with a rather long time later. So his is more of a last chapter (thus the words after the colon), because it happens the next morning.**

**Once again: This fic has been fantastic to write! It feels kind of weird to say because I just wrote those same words minutes ago – when I just finished updating. Yeah, this is a seriously addictive fic. I can't stop writing it! I don't know what I'm gonna do after this chapter. Probably vegetate. **

**Disclaimer: Not mine.

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The shrill ringing of a cell phone broke the early morning silence – well, at least as silent as you get in New York City.

Lisbon's hand crawls out from beneath the mess of covers and feels around on the bedside table until she finds the annoying contraption.

"Hello?" She hoarsely mumbles in answer and runs her fingers through the tangled mess that was her hair. "Cho? How did you get this number?"

Jane pops up from the covers and starts chuckling immediately.

"What?" Lisbon mouths to him.

"That's mine." He mouths back and watches her eyes stretch to the size of dinner plates and her throw the cell phone at him like it was burning her.

He's chuckling loudly now and he took the phone from where it lay on the covers.

"Hey Cho… Yeah, I got your messages… Yup, that was her…" He smirks at Lisbon and winks at her. Her hands are covering her face and she looks absolutely mortified. "What was that? Oh, no, I have no idea… Yeah, basically… Alright, well tell the boss we don't know yet. I mean it all depends on her." He'd have caught her eye, but she was still covering her face in embarrassment. "Okay, bye now…"

He hangs up and watches her slowly uncoil from her mortified position. "I can't believe that just happened…" She squeaked; her cheeks are bright red.

He chuckles. "It's no big deal."

"How is _that_ no big deal?"

"Well maybe by the fact he said it's about time…"

Her head snapped up. "He did?"

"Yup. Good morning, by the way." He says and kisses her cheek.

"Morning…" She mumbles and looks up at him, embarrassment still in her eyes. He thought she looked absolutely adorable.

"Now, at the risk of sounding like a broken record… we have to talk about this."

"About what?"

"Don't stall, Teresa. You know better…" He says; falling down comfortably onto the pillows and pulling her close until her hear lies sweetly on his chest.

She hesitates. "I don't know, Jane. I mean, I've got things good here… And, I mean, I love you, but…"

"Wait, what?" He interrupts.

"What?"

"What did you just say?"

"I said I've got things good here?"

"No, after that?"

"But?" She asked, confused.

"No, you said… you said you loved me." He said. His voice wasn't upset; it was amazed, disbelieving, incredulous.

"I-I did?" She asked, her eyes becoming big and scared and _green_. "Well, I didn't-"

She couldn't finish her sentence because her lips were captured in a bruising kiss. When they broke, he looked deep into her eyes and smiled. "I love you too."

"Y-You do?" She asks.

He nods and presses their foreheads together. They lie there together for a while in comfortable, elated silence; just them.

She's the one who breaks the silence. "So, uh… you say Hightower hasn't found a replacement for me yet?"

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**There you are! It was really short, but it felt like it had to end there. I didn't want to depict her actually going back, because I know I'll ruin it by making it awkward and I think this makes it all romantic and nice. If you disagree… you know what I'm gonna say. Review!**

**Zanny X**


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